That's Our Rule
by TMNTGFKittySidekick01
Summary: Raph is still feeling down after accidently mutating Spike into Slash, but Donnie knows just how to make his brother understand that he cares about him. Takes place after Slash and Destroy.


**Hey people! You got TGKS1 on the net! While watching reruns of the turtles season 2, I was happy as can be, but when Slash and Destroy came on, the TV went static and plot bunnies jumped out at me from all angles and wouldn't leave me alone until I attended to at least one of them. So, I chose this one because I found it the cutest and because I have to stop writing story's about nightmares before my stories start getting boring and lame. So, that's how this oneshot came to be. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles. :(**

* * *

Raph's POV

I lay in my bed in bedroom staring at the space next to me where Spike would be. Sadly though, he's not. He's mutated into monster. I can't believe the monster he's become. Less than 6 hours ago, he was the regular old Spike I've come to know and loved since the day I found him when I was like 5. Now, because of my carelessness with the mutagen, he's gone. I can't believe it's me that did that to him. And while I think he's grateful for the mutation, I still can't help but feel guilty. Yet, I feel mad at him at the same time for beating up my brothers and trying to kill them. When Mikey and I found Donnie, when I found Mikey hanging off the side of a building, when Spike shoved Leo out of his way, I was terrified I would loose them all tonight.

The thought of my brothers just brings down my mood even more. Even after our fun night together, I still can't help but feel bad. I tried to follow Sensei's advice, but the fact that I'm forced to look at their injuries that were basically my fault, it didn't really help. Sure, most of them weren't too visible, the worst was Donnie's sprained arm, but if you took a closer look rather than a quick glance, you'd notice just how many bruises and cuts there actually were. The fact that every bruise, every cut, Donnie's sprained arm, was my fault, I just hardly bring myself to actually look at them tonight. Why did they save me earlier? I mean, Donnie and Mikey did it first, then Leo did once he caught up with us (Mikey vowed to blackmail him once I told him about the little girl and tea time). I just don't get why they did that when they could've been killed. I shake my head as silent tears escape my eyes.

* * *

Donnie's POV

I woke from my peaceful slumber with pain in my right arm. My sprained one. I expect to see my computer in front of me and to be sitting in my chair in my lab, but then I remember how my brothers forced me to sleep in my actual room and sleep a full night so my arm can heal. I, of course, tried to fight against them, but they obviously won. It takes me a second to remember where the clock in my actual room is, but once I found it with glowing numbers on my nightstand, literally four inches from my face, I saw the time was just after midnight. It was still too early to take another dose of painkillers. I'm about to just go back to sleep and ignore the pain when I hear something. I don't recognize it at first, but then I realize it's sobbing. It's very light, but I can still tell. At first, I think it's Mikey having just woken up from another nightmare, but then I hear the slight difference in the voice. See, I'm able to tell the difference between our voices, even if we're crying. Leo and Raph have deeper voices than Mikey and I, and this one was deeper, so rule out Mikey and, obviously, me. Hearing the older 2 turtles cry was a rare thing, one of them rarer than the other. Between Raph and Leo, Leo has a more smooth voice while Raph's has some roughness in it. This crying definitely wasn't in Leo's voice, so that meant...

Raph?

I push myself out of bed and open the door to my room. I walk down the hall to the giant door with a stop sign on it, though I don't let that sign stop me. I open the door a crack and look in, not stepping in yet. I see Raph curled up on his bed facing the wall, sobbing harder now. I look at him in sympathy. I've never seen him like this. Not once had I ever seen a tear escape my hot headed brother's eyes. Not even tonight when Slash fell off the building, he instead came over and helped us, dried eyed. Leo and Mikey may not have noticed, but I could see that even though Raph was having fun with us when we got home, he was still shattered inside. His eyes gave him away. The fact that we're both the middle children gives us a special sort of connection of being able to read each other like an open book. Leo thinks Raph is the hardest brother to read, but to me, he's the easiest. And right now, he's upset beyond what seems like consolation.

"Are you going do something other than stand there and stare at me?" He asks, turning to look at me. I stare at him at shock at first before a small smile creeps onto my face. It's like I said. We can read each other so well, we even know where the other is. That smile quickly turns into a frown when I remember why I'm here. I step in and close the door behind me, knowing that Raph liked the dark, and walk over and sit by him. He looks up at me with his red eyes. With his green irisis, he looked like Christmas. Wow, I just sounded like Mikey there.

"Well?" He asks.

"Raph, if you're upset about what happened to Spike tonight, it was an accident. While I am mad at you for ruining my last canister of mutagen, I'm a bit more happy to be alive and grateful you went with Mikey to find me. Plus, Leo got another canister anyway", I say in attempt to make him feel better, but it doesn't seem to help any.

"It's not just about Spike. It's about you guys", He says, looking away. Now, I'm really confused. If it's more about us, does that mean we did something wrong?

"Did we do something wrong? Tell me what that-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"Why did you and Mikey save me earlier?"

"What?" I ask, even more confused.

"Why did you and Mikey save me? He had me at my most vulnerable moment, fist raised, ready to finish me off, and even though you guys were injured enough already, even when it's techinically my fault you're arm was sprained to begin with, you still came and stopped him. Why?" He said looking at me in the eye, desperately wanting an answer. I look at him like he was stupid, which at the moment, to ask something like that, he kind of was.

"Because you're our brother. And we love you. When Mikey came back to me all bruised and battered and told me Spike was beating you senseless, do you know how scared I was then? Do you know how scared I was when I saw him holding you up, unconcious, with his fist raised, ready to finish you? I was terrified. I was really worried that I would lose my big brother tonight. And it's not your fault my arm is sprained. It may not have been a good idea to keep fighting when it was bad enough, and it may hold me back from working for a while, but I don't care as long as you're safe That's why we saved you. We'd die for you in an instant Raphael. Because we love you", I explained with absolute honesty. Raph stared at me in shock for a few seconds before he jumped into my arms, crying his eyes out, sobbing so loud I was worried he'd wake everyone up. That didn't stop me from wrapping my good arm around him and pulling him as close as I could, as if telling him that everything will be okay, no matter how much it hurt my other arm.

"Cry all you need to Raph. Get it out of your system", I said and he just tightened his hold on me. We sit there like that for a good 10 minutes before we pulled away. I smiled down at him and he returned it.

"Can I stay here tonight?" I ask, and he gently nods and scoots over, giving me some room and, being the mother hen he denies he is, makes sure my arm is in a suitable position. Once we're both comfortable, I feel him wrap his arms around me.

"I love you too, Don", He whispers. While I'm glad I made him feel better, I still have one question.

"Raph, before you tied off my sprained arm, you said, 'No turtle left behind. That's our rule.' Did you mean that?" I ask, just wanting to hear his answer.

"You know I did, Don. You know I did."

And the weird thing is that my arm didn't hurt so much anymore.

* * *

 **Turtle's oneshot #2! Oh ya! I'm happy! I hope you guys enjoyed! Tell me how I did and until next time, adios!**


End file.
